The Right Kind of Spooky

Fall is officially upon us. Probably my favorite season, despite the inevitable packing on of caramel apple weight.

No matter how much I love Christmas or watching new flowers bloom or sunny days by the ocean, I never feel as inspired as when the weather is cooling and the leaves are changing colors. In the summer, storms bring to mind pirates, but in the fall, dark clouds mean witches, ghosts and all manner of spooks hiding in the shadows, waiting to be found. They make me want to create some magic of my own.

The ideas flow. Some in the entirely wrong direction, but they're still fun to consider. And when I take a break from my own worlds to visit someone else's, I like it to be just the right kind of spooky. Not really scary, mind you. Because I am what is generally known as a giant mega chicken when it comes to horror movies. No, thank you. I am interested in sleeping again at some point in my life.

But I do like to feel a little spooked. A slight chill up the spine, as opposed to a sudden, overwhelming desire to hide under my bed and ne'er emerge again. Thankfully, this fall has offered me some new fare. 

First, my sister recently introduced me to Delta Rae. If you're not already listening to them, you should definitely check them out. They're pretty much an explosion of awesome. And one of their songs is exactly what I'm looking for when it comes to an autumn playlist. Fun to sing a long to, a touch of the supernatural and an intensity from the lead singer that creates just the perfect amount of spookiness.

I definitely believe that she could take out the village before being thrown in the river. It's all in the eyes.

And then in the realm of television, I am getting into Sleepy Hollow big time. It may be a pretty big leap from the original source material, but as far as I'm concerned the changes are paying off so far. I tend to feel a little twitch of unease while I'm watching but the lingering effect isn't nightmare inducing fear. When I finish an episode, I just feel like writing. Not anything related to what I watched, I just want to get back to work. I don't think I can coherently explain why that is, but suffice it to say, I'm happy to be inspired in whatever ways possible.

Now, though, I'm looking for books that will fit into the category of spooky, but not necessarily scary, to add to my TBR list. Particularly paranormal or mystery. Any suggestions?